The UN expressed this Tuesday its “concern” about the human rights situation in El Salvador and expressed its fears that the repression of organized crime has generated arbitrary detentions.
“A year has passed since the emergency regime came into force in El Salvador, a year in which the authorities have taken various measures that raise serious human rights concerns,” said Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OACD).
“We understand the serious problems posed by gang violence and the duty of the State to provide security. However, it is the duty of the State to do so within the framework of international human rights law,” said Hurtado, at a press conference in Geneva.
Since El Salvador proclaimed the emergency regime on March 27, 2022 in response to a wave of 87 murders in a few days, 65,000 people have been detained without an arrest warrant.
“Some of these mass arrests, including those of children, may amount to arbitrary arrests, as they appear to be based on poorly documented investigations and crude profiling based on the physical appearance or social background of the detainees.”Hurtado denounced.
Hurtado stressed that “the conditions in detention centers, often overcrowded, are cause for great concern,” and said that the UN received complaints of serious violations of prisoners’ rights, such as prolonged isolation, lack of medical attention and other forms of ill-treatment.
“It is especially worrying that 90 people have died in detention since the state of emergency came into force, and that little information is available on the progress of investigations into these deaths,” he said.